Friday, September 28, 2012
Mania (psychological term) - another mental illness? (Part II)
Labels: Mania, Mental illness
Maybe, let me share about the symptoms of my maniac colleague, who got into elevated, irritable mood.
Usually when we lunch together, she would take her own sweet time, exploring different canteens, bazaars, visiting the mini marts. This time she bought an ice cream after our lunch, and we slowly walked back to wait for the shuttlebus. It has been a long lunch already and she is still taking her time to walk and enjoy her ice cream. Sounds like someone who enjoys life and food huh? But this is during work and we don't have 2 hour lunch, you know. When I wanted to board the bus, she stopped me. She was still eating her ice cream and said she couldn't board the bus.
What... this is not SMRT you know. Just a freaking school shuttle bus.
But I didn't voice it out. Being the usual me, I kept more thoughts inside me than prefer to saying out loud. This negative energy is engulfing me. Although I don't have a lot of experiments that day, I just didn't like the idea of - having a super long lunch during working hours. When everyone else just took a quick 1 hr lunch and got back to work, why should I take so long? Moreover, I don't want people to think of me as always-taking-long-lunches-girl.
Ok. Back to her. So fortunately a call came at the right time. A colleague asked if I prepared the instrument. Though I needn't have to rush back, I used the phone call as an excuse to return first. Time is ticking and I really do not want to wait anymore. She could enjoy the ice cream and take her time if she wants to.
I need to get back to work so I'm leaving first, yeah.
No response.
I go off first ya. Waving my hand to get her attention.
No response.
Last time. I waved my hand right in front of her face so she must have seen it.
No response.
Great. So I am leaving. What's wrong with her??? Getting angry over me leaving first? I don't get angry easily but I am intolerant to intolerance. This has super pissed me off.
Ok, I just need to vent about this and I'll calm down...
Instance #2 - 7 Eleven incident
Again we were having lunch, this time at a different canteen. She needed to pay her bills and she suggested that canteen. Why don't you pay at AXS machine? It's faster and more convenient and we don't have to go all the way to 7 Eleven. No, she said. She has never used an AXS before and paying bills by 7 Eleven will be much, safer.
She has her way of going all out to explain why the need to do so that way. Ok.
After lunch, we head towards 7 Eleven. And off to the payment she made.
Suddenly, she stormed out of the 7 Eleven. Leaving me behind, still reading the news and waiting for her. I saw her storm off and I was stunned. What's wrong this time?
I caught up with her and she said, the counter person didn't let me pay with masters. I have always paid using masters!! He only allowed NETS this time!!
Er... ok. Then, just pay by NETS? Why do you have to get so angry?
So she went on and on about how the person didn't let her pay by masters. I shall not elaborate on that. Not only did she get angry, she also wanted to walk back to our office building.
You know, our office building is almost 15-20mins walk away... And under this hot sun...
Maybe we should wait for the shuttle bus? Let's check what time the bus is coming.
The bus timing is not accurate.
It said 6 mins, and so, she decided to return by WALKING. Urgh. As I turned my head, our bus came. Our bus came! Yes... 6 mins is not accurate but... our bus came!
She continued walking.
And I felt like strangling her at that point. Why would you walk back to office in this scorching sun? Shuttle buses are free, you know. This is the 2nd incident that turned me off. I responded, by rolling my eyes and storming off faster than her. My friends scolded me and said I should have just left her there and take the bus back.
Instance #3 - Fisher and game incident
This time round she decided to call another friend along, probably because I haven't been responding actively to the things she said.
There was an activity hosted by another company Fisher. Shoot into the ring and win a thumbdrive!
Now she is not just having logorrhea anymore. This is another term which I read - Mania. She exhibits some of these symptoms too...
I have long suspected that a friend of mine has mental illness, or probably susceptible to one. She has a family history of mental illness, and I would like to think that this will pass on in the genes. Labels: Logorrhea, Mental illness
When someone you know, is spiralling her life downwards - what would you do?
Her colleagues shun her. When she began asking me for lunch repeatedly, I wasn't sure if she was the weird one or her colleagues trying to bully her. My first impression of her was, nice person, friendly, chatty and approachable.
But as time goes on, I knew something was not so right about her.
She could go on and on talking. It felt like long streams of words kept coming. The waves, it was hard to interrupt her. Even when I tried to say something - or anything, she wouldn't respond onwards, to me. She would continue her thoughts, which irritated me. First, it seemed like she was centring the whole conversation on herself. About herself. Everything was about her. She wouldn't notice about other people, but think that everyone will know about her. My ears wanted to stop. I was going to leave this person.
A few months ago, she got worse. She started talking incoherently.
All along I knew that she doesn't always engage in what people say. If you tell her X, she'd reply a Z. She just came across my mind as, someone weird. Until recently.
My colleagues organised monthly parties to celebrate each and our birthdays. She was invited too. But I was sick and didn't turn up, and this was what I heard from my colleagues. It was late and the party was nearing an end. They wanted to go home but she was having cramps in her foot (maybe feet, not sure). So this colleague B decided to go to the washroom first while waiting for problematic friend A. When B returned, A said to B, you should wash your feet with warm water so that the feet cramp will go away.
Har?? So who is the one having feet cramp now?
Appalling. She actually forgot what she said and the words became someone else's words?
Ok. She's sick and this is getting... serious.
Yesterday, it was even weirder. It seemed like the whole day she was mumbling something to herself. Don't know what she was talking and I do not want to know. Until colleague C came to talk to me about her. This is getting serious and we think she needs professional help. But how do we break the news to her?
I was googling "mental illness" and "mumbling" yesterday night. Logorrhea came up and caught my eye. It is long streams of excessive speech, sometimes incoherently. The person may also mumble monotonously. It may be classified as a mental illness or suggest underlying illness.
This must be it.
As I look for more information, she also seemed to fit some of other illnesses, or whatever you call it. Maniac. Characterised by
a period of irritably emotions - yes, a week
sudden weight loss - yes
creative - yes, she sings (and dreams of becoming a real singer)
having a grandeur lifestyle - yes
These characteristics are striking and blinking right in front of my eyes. Now, when you have someone around you like that, how do you deal with it? How should I deal with it?
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Parkinson's Disease
Today's topic is about Parkinson's disease. Why my sudden curiosity about Parkinson's disease? I have heard about this medical term numerous times but didn't bother to find out what it is. Until recently I became interested in Speech/Occupational Therapy, I came across this medical term again. I read that Speech/Occupational therapist do treat such people. And hence.. ta dah! Labels: Parkinson's Disease
Again this post is not a very comprehensive one. For more info, find it out yourself :)
Generally Parkinson's Disease develops in people of age 50 and above. It is caused by the death of lactotrope cells in brain, which produces dopamine. Dopamines are used by nerve cells to control movements. Without dopamine, these nerve cells cannot properly send out signals anymore. Hence there is a delay or difficulty in movements, or loss of muscle function.
Not to be confused with Parkinson's Dementia, not all patients with Parkinson's Disease will get dementia. Only about 20% of the people will suffer from it.
Currently there is no clinical/laboratory test to determine if a person has Parkinson's Disease. Usually it is diagnosed based on symptoms and physical examination. And there is no known cure for this disease. Treatment such as speech/occupational/physio therapy only assist to better control muscles. Medical treatment includes medication to increase the level of dopamine in the brain. Over time, the doctor may have to increase dosage to a point that medications will not work anymore. There are also side effects that come along with the medications, such as hallucinations, nausea, vomiting etc. When medications are not enough to control symptoms, surgery and deep brain stimulation can be of use. In the final stages of the disease, palliative care is provided to enhance quality of life.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
SGH warns against evangelising
Labels: Miscelleneous News
By Yen Feng
THE Singapore General Hospital (SGH) has put up signs in all its wards to remind visitors against proselytising after a volunteer was found recently to be evangelising to a patient and was told to leave.
The move to spell out guidelines on proselytising follows an incident involving a Christian volunteer and an elderly patient who is a Taoist. The patient's son wrote to the Health Ministry last month seeking an explanation, and the ministry asked SGH to investigate the matter.
The patient's son, who would only give his surname as Chan, said the volunteer had approached him and his father on April 2, asking if they wanted to learn origami. The volunteer is a member of the Church of Praise in Lavender Street.
Mr Chan, 38, said: 'I told her no, then she started asking me about my father. That was when she told me she's a stroke patient and that the Lord saved her.' She began talking about her faith, he added.
In a statement to The Straits Times, SGH said the incident was 'isolated' and it has asked the volunteer to leave. It added that all volunteers are expected not to impose their religious views on anyone. 'Any volunteer who breaches this code of conduct will be asked to discontinue their involvement with the hospital,' it said.
When contacted, the Church of Praise described the incident as a misunderstanding. It said the church member had been volunteering at SGH for six years.
Pastor Pang Yan Cher said the church may now cease its activities at SGH. 'We would not want to put SGH to further inconvenience, as well as unwittingly affecting adversely the delicate balance of the different religions we have been working so hard to achieve in our country thus far,' she said.
For Mr Chan, whose father is still receiving treatment at SGH, the incident left him upset and he hoped public hospitals would not 'allow religious evangelists to harass people during difficult times in their lives'.
Three other public hospitals - Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH), National University Hospital (NUH) and Alexandra Hospital - said they too do not allow any kind of religious proselytising.
There is no hard data on how widespread the practice is: The hospitals either did not comment on how many cases are reported, or said they were rare.
But social workers and health-care professionals told ST it happens often enough, at least anecdotally, to prompt hospitals to have strict guidelines to prohibit any form of proselytising.
'It's hard to say no when you're ill and somebody says they want to pray for you to get better,' said Ms Jenny Teo, 46, a counseller with Care Spring Community Services. 'That's how it begins - the religious talk.'
At NUH, patients can ask for spiritual counselling, but neither staff nor volunteers are allowed to proselytise.
Over at TTSH, volunteers get a list of dos and don'ts which include 'prohibiting the preaching and sharing of religious beliefs', a hospital spokesman said.
Religious organisations and their affiliated groups, on their part, said their guiding principle is this: Patients' needs come first. Sultan Mosque's manager, Ustaz Khair Rahmat, said even though prayers play a role in their hospital visits, 'it is more important to give the patients a listening ear... regardless of race and religion.'
Mr Herman Lim, coordinator for First Hands, a programme run by City Harvest Community Services Association (CHCSA), said any reference to Christianity happens only when the patient requests it and with the approval of the social worker or the staff nurse. CHCSA, which is affiliated to City Harvest Church, works mainly with the terminally ill at TTSH.
Mr Paul Tobin, president of the Humanist Society (Singapore), called the move by SGH to put up the signs 'a positive step in the right direction'.
He said: 'To proselytise to a patient, who is at a moment of trauma and stress, is an unacceptable exploitation of that patient's emotional vulnerability.
'This is also an intrusion into the patient's right to privacy.'
zengyan@sph.com.sg
****************************************
I am totally for the idea for hospitals to put up such signs. Seriously, all other hospitals should do the same too. Evangelism at hospitals put me off, because I am speaking from my personal experience.
It happened 1 year ago around this period when my 四舅 was met with a car accident which endangered his life. Out of good will, Steven uncle brought his colleague along, whom, brought along her church pastor. I am not against this idea of bringing a pastor to pray for 四舅. Besides, when you are at moments of such crisis, all attempts to save 四舅 would be greatly appreciated. So this pastor said some prayers, saying that 四舅 "has been a happy-go-lucky man and has been well-liked by people. Dear God, please give him a second chance in life." Stuff like this. Then, he went in to speak to 四舅 and said more prayers to god.
I was still tolerant to whatever has been said. Because I am an atheist, I don't believe that god exist. But all is fine since you come with a good intention. However the last straw came when the pastor came out of 四舅's room and told us, "I have spoken to god to ask him to give Eng Guan a second chance. God will give Eng Guan a second chance, and his condition will get better. When he wakes up, he has to say Amen."
So what is this now? Telling people that they survive because it is god who gives them a second chance in life and they have to convert to christianity when they wake up? And who are you to say that 四舅's condition will get better? Are you a doctor? Whilst I do appreciate the prayers and your good intent of wanting 四舅 to get better. But by saying such misleading things, you are giving the families false hopes. You yourself is a pastor, you know you are not a doctor, how could you say such things?!
This incident had really turned me off. And 四舅's condition never got better, he eventually passed away. But life goes on. What I can conclude from your words is - Bullshit. A pack of lies. Blind faith. Ignorant people.
I hope never to hear of such incidents again. To all christians, I hope you would respect others' religions and never ever evangelise at hospitals again.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Floaters in the eye
I have been inspired to write about floaters recently... since my present work involves with culturing of cells!!! :) Labels: Eye
I first started to notice a flying grey spot in my right eye, as early as I was 6 or 7 when I was staring into the sky. I rubbed my eyes, but it wouldn't go away. It doesn't cause pain, neither does it severely obscur my vision. And I wasn't able to focus on looking at the grey spot. If I tried to focus at the spot, the spot would move along as I shift my direction of view. I was very young then and I couldn't put all these thoughts into words. I thought it would be fine after a few days, so I left it there.
Since then 18 years has passed and the grey spot has not gone away. Not that it poses a lot of inconvenience, and most of the time I wouldn't take notice. It would become prevalent especially when I am staring at a blank wall, or when I am focusing on reading. The spot would appear at a corner, distracting me from reading, and become especially disturbing during my english comprehension exams...
A few days ago as I was observing my dish of cells under the microscope, the glaring lights of microscope would reflect into my eye, and the little grey spot surfaced again. As I look, I thought that the grey spot resembled my dish of floating dead cells in the media. Suddenly it dawned on to me --- the floater that has been sneaking in and out of my life for about 18 years, could be caused by some malfunctioning of the cell in my eye!
Hence I looked up the internet.
Indeed!!! The floaters is a cell that I've been seeing!
I rarely felt so accomplished, and I was amazed by how I am driven to want to find out about these cells. It has been long since I last felt this way.
Floaters are grey spots/threads, and they appear in the field of vision in some individuals. Some people got it when they were born, others acquired it as they grew older. Floaters are tiny clumps or strands of cell debris that float in the Vitreous Humor (Gel-like fluid that fills between the lens of the eye to the retina lining at the back of the eye. This is unlike the fluid at the frontal part of the eye which can be constantly replenish.) Although Floaters appear as though they are floating in front of the eye, they are actually floating in vitreous fluid, and this cell debris casts a shadow on the Retina (a light sensitive tissue lining the inner layer of the eye), hence shadow of the cell debris is what we see - grey spots. Moving your eye up and down creates currents within the the vitreous fluid, thus the floaters move along too. They will never stay still as you try to focus them - they move as your vision shifts too.
Floaters can also be resulted from the normal ageing process when vitreous fluid degenerates, other abnormalities in the eye, or your eye was just not very well developed when you were borned. They are not a cause of worry, unless you see a sudden onset of new clusters of floaters, then please consult an eye doctor. While it has been reported that they may diminish by themselves over time, mine hasn't.
And as usual, my drive for more knowledge doesn't bring me very far... Ha.. I have yet to establish why and how did the cell debris manage to get into the vitreous humor. There are many reasons of cos, but I haven't looked into it. At the very least, the basic idea is there! If you would like to find out more about the technical details, please wiki it youself :)
I will continue to blog till I am inspired again. :)
Saturday, January 1, 2011
HSA recalls Po Chai Pills
Labels: Miscelleneous News
SINGAPORE: Singapore's Health Sciences Authority (HSA) has recalled a batch of the capsule form of a popular medicine for indigestion, Po Chai Pills.
They were found to have trace amounts of substances controlled under the Poisons Act.
Hong Kong authorities also acted on the HSA's findings and pulled the product off the shelves.
The two substances are phenolphthalein and sibutramine.
Phenolphthalein is a laxative used for relieving constipation and increasing bowel movement.
Sibutramine is a slimming agent that's used with other modes of weight control such as diet and exercise in overweight and obese patients who have risk factors such as diabetes.
The HSA said it decided to recall the affected batch on March 8 even though the capsules only contained trace amounts that were not enough to cause serious harm.
So far, only one batch of such capsules had been brought into Singapore.
The local subsidiary of the Hong Kong-based manufacturer Li Chung Shing Tong has recalled some 2,000 packs of the capsules after they first went on sale in December last year.
The traditional Po Chai Pills that come as small pills are not affected.
HSA tests found them to be safe for consumption.
Those who have bought the affected capsules are advised to return them to the retailers or supplier.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Steps for performing CPR
Out of curiosity, I enrolled myself for a Standard First Aid course to learn proper bandaging and how to save lives. After attending 24 hours of lesson, I didn't find it particularly useful, except for the session on how to perform CPR - Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation. Labels: CPR
So here are the steps:
1. Check scene for dangers. If the victim fainted on the middle of the road, get passerby to divert traffic.
2. Check response of victim. Tap the shoulder of the victim and shout "Are you ok?"
3. No response, call 995.
4. Open airway of victim using Head-tilt Chin-lift method. Remove any foreign object using index finger. The other hand remains at victim's forehead.
5. Check for breathing. Lie low and touch the victim's nose with your ears to listen and feel the breaths for 10 seconds.
6. No breathing, pinch victim's nose and give 2 breaths. If chest doesn't rise, re-adjust Head-tilt Chin-lift position and give 2 breaths again.
7. If victim's chest still does not rise, there is suspected choking. Perform 30 chest compressions.
8. Victim should cough out water or food by now. Give 2 ventilation again. If chest rises, but still not breathing, position victim's body again, perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
